Back height control gage



Feb. 14, 1967 5 CHADBOURNE 3,303,523 7 BACK HEIGHT CONTROL GAGE FiledFeb. 18, 1965 INVENTOR BASIL E. CHADBOUR NE ATTOR N EYS United StatesPatent 3,303,523 BACK HEIGHT CONTROL GAGE Basil E. Chadbourne, Lynn,Mass., assignor to Duchess Footwear Corp., Salem, Mass., a corporationof Massachusetts Filed Feb. 18, 1965, Ser. No. 433,572 3 Claims. (Cl.12-141) This invention relates to shoe construction and moreparticularly comprises a new and improved mold for accuratelycontrolling the height of a shoe upper at the counter region.

In the manufacture of cement shoes, stitched uppers are sometimessubjected to a molding operation to shape the counter portion of theupper before lasting. One object of the molding operation is to form thecounter region so that the height of the back of the upper conforms tothe height prescribed for the particular shoe size into which the upperis to be formed. At the present time molding machines include no specialfixtures to assist the operator in placing the upper about the mold inthe proper position to accurately control the height of the back, andtherefore, the control or accuracy of the back height is left completelyto the experience of the operator who places the upper about the mold.Through experience operators acquire some skill in controlling thedimension of the back height but placement of the upper on the mold isjudged by eye and feel. Without some gage to control the position of theupper on the mold it will be appreciated that it is impossible toproduce consistently accurate results, particularly as the back heightvaries approximately A between consecutive whole sizes. For example, asize 4 womens cemented shoe may have a back height of 2% while the samestyle shoe in size will have a back height of 2% One important object ofthis invention is to provide a mold for shaping the counter portion ofan upper, which will accurately control the back height of the upperwhen forming the counter.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide in a mold forforming shoe counters a gage which will enable an operator to place ashoe upper in proper position on the mold so as to achieve the properback height when the mold shapes the counter portion of the upper.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a mold for thecounter portion of shoe uppers, which receives interchangeable gages toprovide stops at the proper location to determine the back height forshoes of different sizes.

Yet another important object of this invention is to provide a mold forshaping the counter portion of shoe uppers, which may be altered in justa few seconds to make the mold suitable for forming counters of adifferent size.

To accomplish these and other objects, this invention includes a moldhaving a slot provided in the back seam region of the mold, which isadapted to receive one of a number of different gages. Each gage carriesa projection that extends rearwardly from the mold when the gage ispositioned in the slot, and the projection serves as a stop to locatethe top line of the shoe upper on the mold. By locating the position ofthe top line of the upper, the height of the back of the shoe iscontrolled when the lasting margin is folded over the mold.

These and other objects and features of this invention along with itsincident advantages will be better understood and appreciated from thefollowing detailed description of one embodiment thereof, selected forpurposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawing, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a mold constructed in accordance with thisinvention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the mold shown in FIG. 1;

ice

FIG. 3 is a rea view of the mold shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the gage in the mold shown in FIGS. 1-3;

FIG. 5 is a side view of another gage interchangeable with that shown inFIG. 4 in the mold; and

FIG. 6 is a side view similar to FIG. 5 and showing an upper on themold.

The mold 10 shown in FIGS. 1-3 is generally shaped to conform to thecounter portion of a shoe upper and is shown mounted in an invertedposition on a base plate 12. The base 12 secured to the collar portion14 of the mold 10 may be formed as an integral part of the mold body 10or alternatively may be secured thereto by machine screws or otherfastening means. The base 12 is provided to secure the mold body 16 inthe molding machine in which the molding operation is performed.Typically, the mold may be used in such machines as a Lauretti Molderused to form the counter portion of uppers.

The mold body 10 has a flat upper surface 16 which conforms to thebottom of the shoe, and on the surface 16 the overlasted margins of theupper are folded so as to shape the counter portion and control the backheight.

A slot 18 is privided in the body 10 at the back seam region of thebody, which slot extends from the upper surface 16 of the body to apoint immediately above the base 12. The slot 18 is relatively narrow asshown in FIGS. 2 and 3, but is relatively deep as measured in ahorizontal direction from the back of the body. A recess 20 in the uppersurface 16 of the mold forms a continuation of the slot 18. The recess20 extends forwardly from the slot 18 to a point approximately in themiddle of the heel portion of the body. The slot 18 and recess 20 lie ina vertical plane which bisects the body 10 in a longitudinal direction.

A gage 22 shown separately in FIG. 4 is mounted in the body with itsvertical leg 24 disposed in the slot 18 and its horizontal arm 26disposed in the recess 20. The width of the gage 22 is slightly smallerthan the width of the slot and recess so that the gage fits easilywithin them. The back edge 28 of the leg 24 is of the same curvature asthe back of an upper at the seam region, and the edge 28 merges smoothlyinto the body shape. Similarly, the upper edge 30 of the arm 26 is flatso that the upper edge lies in the plane of the upper surface 16 of thebody 10. Thus, when the gage 22 is disposed within the body, the bodyhas an unbroken surface which is the same shape as the body of aconventional mold.

A detent 32 is formed at the forward edge 34 of the arm 26 andcooperates with a hold down spring 36 having a hooked end 38 toyieldably retain the gage in place in the body. The spring 36 isremovably secured to the surface 16 of the body by a machine screw 40.

The gage shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 is designed tobe used to form thecounter portion of a size 4 shoe. In one style of womens shoes, the backheight of a size 4 is normally 2 and to establish this height in thecounter portion of the shoe upper a projection 42 is provided on andforms an integral part of the gage 22. The projection 42 serves as astop that extends rearwardly from the body 10 in the plane of the backseam region when the gage 22 is mounted in the body, and the projectionis positioned to engage the top line of a shoe to limit the extent towhich the upper may be positioned down over the body. When the top lineof the upper engages the projection 42 the lasting margins of thecounter portion are wiped over the surface 16 the resulting upper isformed with a back height equal to the distance between the edge 30 ofthe horizontal arm 26 of the gageand the upper surface 44 of theprojection 42.

A gripping device in the form of a small rectangular plate 46 is securedto the edge 30 of the arm 26, and. the

a plate 46 has a hole 48 in its center through which a hook may beinserted to lift the gage 22 from the body. The plate 46 is particularlyimportant when the gage is used in a mold which becomes hot during use.In conventional molding machines to form the counter portion of theupper heat is applied to the body or male portion of the mold by heatingcoils embedded therein or heat is indirectly transferred to the bodyfrom the female mold Which itself may be heated. Regardless of how heatis actually introduced into the body 10, it does in fact become hot andthe hole 48 in the plate 46 allows the operator to, insert a hook-liketool to pull the gage 22 from the mold. With the gage removed, anothergage may be placed in the body to mold shoes of a diflerent size on themachine.

The gage 50 shown in FIG. is the same as the gage 22 of FIG. 4 andincludes a vertical leg 52 and a horizontal arm 54. The only differencebetween the gages 22 and 50 lies in the positions of the projection 42of gage 22 and projection 56 of gage 50. The gage 50 is designed to beused to form size shoes, and the distance between the upper surface 58of the arm 54 and the upper surface 60 of the projection is 2 that isgreater than the comparable distance in the gage for a size 4 shoe. Itis apparent that merely by replacing gage 22 with gage 50 the body 10 issuitable for molding the counter portion of a shoe upper and providingit with the proper back height for a size 10 shoe.

In FIG. 6 the manner in which the body 10 with its gage. is used asillustrated. It will be noted in that figure that the body 10 is shownwith a portion of an upper 62 mounted on it. The top line 64 of theupper 62 is shown to engage the upper surface 44 of the projection 42 ofthe gage 22 mounted in the body. It is apparent that when the operatorplaces the upper over the body 10 and brings the top line 64 of theupper into engagement with the projection, the height h of the back ofthe upper is made to conform to the distance between the upper surface16' of the body and the upper surface of the projection. When the upperis molded about the mold body 10 in cooperation with a female mold (notshown) which folds the lasting margin 66 of the upper over the edge ofthe body, onto the top surface 16, the back height is set. Duringsubsequent shoe operations when the upper is assembled on a last, theheight of the back is preset for the operator and the shoe will remainin the shape determined during the molding operation.

From the foregoing description those skilled in the art will appreciatethat numerous modifications may be made of this invention withoutdeparting from its spirit. Therefore, it is not intended to limit thebreadth of this invention to the specific embodiment illustrated anddescribed. Rather, it is intended that the scope of this invention bedetermined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:

1. Means for controlling the back height of the counter portion of ashoe upper comprising a mold body shaped to form the counter portion ofa shoe upper and adapted to be oriented to carry the upper in aninverted position,

a slot provided in the back seam region of the mold body extendingvertically from the top surface of a recess provided in the uppersurface of the body and 6 extending forwardly from the top of the slot,

a generally L-shaped gage conforming in shape to the slot and recess andremovably mounted in theslot and recess to provide the counter formingportion of the body with a smooth continuous molding surface,

a rearwardly extending projection carried by the gage and extending fromthe body in the back seam region for engaging the top line of thecounter portion of an upper placed on the body,

and tool engaging means connected to the gage for removing the gage fromthe slot and recess.

2. Means for controlling the back height of a counter of a shoe uppercomprising,

a mold body shaped to conform to the counter portion of a shoe upperwith the sole portion of the.

body disposed uppermost,

a slot provided in the body extending from the sole portion downwardlyalong the back seam region of the body to a point below the top lineregion of an upper placed in an inverted position over the body,

a recess provided in the body along the top surfacethereof and forming acontinuation of the slot,

a generally L-shaped gage sized to be mountable on the body with a legof the gage in the slot and the base of the gage in the recess,

a flange provided in the free end of the base of the gage and extendingupwardly from the top surface of the body when the gage is mounted insaid body,

a spring secured to the upper surface of the body and engaging theflange to releasably retain the gage in the body, 7

a gripping member secured to the upper surface of the base of the gageand adapted to be engaged by a hook-like member to remove the gage fromthe slot and recess in the body,

and a projection carried on the leg of the gage and located a prescribeddistance below the top surface of the body for engaging the top line ofan upper when formed about the body to form a counter of preselectedheight.

3. Means for controlling the back height of a counter portion of a shoeupper comprising,

a mold body shaped to form the counter portion of a shoe upper andadapted to be oriented to carry the upper in an inverted position,

slot means provided in the back seam region of the mold body extendingvertically from the top surface of the inverted body downwardlysubstantially to the bottom of the body,

a gage conforming in shape to the slot means and removably mounted inthe slot means to provide the counter forming portion of the body with asmooth continuous molding surface,

a rearwardly extending projection carried by the gage and extending fromthe body in the back seam region for engaging the top line of thecounter portion of an upper placed on the body,

and engaging means connected to the gage for removing the gage from theslot means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,301,295 11/1942Latferty 12-14l 3,110,915 11/1963 Batchelder et al 12l41 3,228,0491/1966 Sbicca 12141 PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner.

1. MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE BACK HEIGHT OF THE COUNTER PORTION OF ASHOE UPPER COMPRISING A MOLD BODY SHAPED TO FORM THE COUNTER PORTION OFA SHOE UPPER AND ADAPTED TO BE ORIENTED TO CARRY THE UPPER IN ANINVERTED POSITION, A SLOT PROVIDED IN THE BACK SEAM REGION OF THE MOLDBODY EXTENDING VERTICALLY FROM THE TOP SURFACE OF THE INVERTED BODYDOWNWARDLY SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE BOTTOM OF THE BODY, A RECESS PROVIDED INTHE UPPER SURFACE OF THE BODY AND EXTENDING FORWARDLY FROM THE TOP OFTHE SLOT, A GENERALLY L-SHAPED GAGE CONFORMING IN SHAPE TO THE SLOT ANDRECESS AND REMOVABLY MOUNTED IN THE SLOT AND RECESS TO PROVIDE THECOUNTER FORMING PORTION OF THE BODY WITH A SMOOTH CONTINUOUS MOLDINGSURFACE, A REARWARDLY EXTENDING PROJECTION CARRIED BY THE GAGE